Tracking device.



I. A. LE CAT()1 TRACKING DEVICE.

APPLICAUON HLED Aua.2o.19u.

Patented Mar. I9, 19H3.

` same instrument.

Unirnp simens rarnivr ernten.

JOHN A. LE GATO, OF NET YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO' STANDARD PNEUMATICACTION CO., OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

TRACKING DEVICE.

Application led August 20, 1917.

c To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I. JOHN A. LE GATO, a citizen of the United States,residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York,have invented a new and useful Tracking Device, of which the followingis a specification.

This invention relates to a tracking device for automatic musicalinstruments.

Provision has been heretofore made for adjusting the tracker barrelatively to the note sheet to correct inaccurate alinement of the noteopenings` and also for transposing the musical selection to a differentkey. Pneumatic sheet adjusting mechanisnnand pneumatic expressiondevices have also been heretofore used, both controlled fromsupplementary openings in the tracker bar.

To the best. of my knowledge and belief, however` no effectiveconstruction has been heretofore devised which permitted these severaldevices to be used together in the The movable tracker, as commonlyconstructed, precluded the use of fixed guide and expression openings.

Accordingly, it is the general object of my invention to provide aconstruction by means of which relative adjustment may be securedbetween the guide and expression openings of the tracker bar and theplaying openings therein. In the preferred construction. the guide andexpression openings are fixed in position and rigidly spaced from eachother. while the playing openings are adjustable transversely of thenote sheet.

lVith this general object in view, my invention relates morespecifically to certain arrangements and combinations of parts whichwill be hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in theappended claims.

A preferred form of rnv invention is shown in the drawings.I in which-Figure 1 is a front elevation of my improved tracker bar. together witha portion of the spool supporting frame;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially along the line22 in Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a rear elevation of a portion of the tracker har, looking inthe direction of arrow 3 in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional elevation taken along the line 1 -4 inFig. 1, and

Fig. 5 is a detailed perspective view of Specification of LettersPatent.

Patented Mar. 19, 1918.

Serial No. 187,144.

one of the fixed tracker bar sections containing guide and expressioncontrol openings.

Referring to the drawings I have shown a' movable tracker bar 10supported at its opposite ends by frame members 11 and 12. The rearedges of the bar are grooved to receive the edges of plates 13 and 14e,which is a usual construction. The note sheet is indicated in brokenlines at N (Fig. 1).

The tracker bar 1() is provided on its rear side with a longitudinallyextending rectangular groove 15 (Fig. 4) and the bar is also providedwith slots 16 and 17 extending through to the face of the bar.

Short tracker bar sections 18 (Fig. 5) and 19 are rigidly secured to theframe members 11 and 12 by screws 20, and these tracker bar sections areprovided with blocks 21 extending through the slots 16 and 17 and havingtheir front faces Hush with the front surface of the tracker bar 10.

One or more guide openings 22 and expression openings 23 are provided inthe blocks 21. said openings extending through the bars 18 and 19 andthe blocks 21 at one or both edges of the note sheet. Flexible tubes 24are connected in the usual way to the openings 22 and 23. and also tothe regular playing openings 25 in the bar 10.

The sheet adjusting and expression controlling mechanisms to which thefiexible tubes 24 from the openings 22 and 23 are connected are deviceswellknown in the art and may be of any usual construction. For thisreason these devices are not shown in the drawings. but reference ismade to the patent to Danquard No. 1.187.975. issued June 2O` 1916, asdisclosing one suitable form of sheet adjusting mechanism. and to thepatent t0 Crippen, No. 977.072, issued November 29. 1910. as showing asuitable form of expression controlling' mechanism.

rl`he liar 10 is slidably secured in position on the frame members 11and 12 in any convenient manner, as by straps 26 and screws 27 (Fig. 1l.

I have found it desirable to rigidly connect the fixed tracker barsections 1S and 19 by a i-shaped link 2S (Fig. 3) which may be securedby screws 29 to the bar sections 18 and 19.

A pin 30 is secured in the hack side of the bar 10 in one end thereof.this pin being received in a slot 31 formed in one arm of a bell-crank32 pivoted at 33 to a bracket mounted on the frame member 11. The secondaimof the bell-crank extends through a slot in the frame member l1, andis provided at its inner end with a handle 34 by which the bar 10 may beadjusted transversely of the note sheet. Graduations 85 l (Fig. l)provide means by which the adjustment may be more accurately made.

With this construction it will be seen that the guide openings 22 andthe expression openings 23 may be tixed in position, thus guiding thenote `sheet in a fixed path and controlling the expression regardless ofthe adjustment of the tracker vbar 10. At the same time, the bar 10maybe adjusted transversely-by the khandle 34 so that the'selection may beplayed in any desired key or the alinementof the notefsheet openings maybe corrected. By this combination I am thus enabled to secure all theadvantages of the Well known tracking and expression devices While atthe same time I avail lmyself of the 'ltoransposin'g features of themovable tracker' 4Having thus described my inventionit will Abe yevidentthat changes and 'modifications can lbe made therein yby those skilledvin the art, Without departing from the spirit :and scope ofinyinvention as set forth vin the claims, and I do not Wish to be otherwiselimited to the details herein disclosed, but what I claim is l. In anautomatic musical instrument, a. spool supporting frame, a main trackerbar grooved longitudinally and slotted near its opposite ends, saidtracker bar being slidable transversely of said frame, bar sectionsfixed to said frame and positioned in said groove, blocks fixed to saidbars, extending into said slots, and having guide openings therein Vfromwhich sheet adjusting mechalnism may be controlled, and means to adjustsaid main tracker bar.

'2. fIn an automatic `musical instrument, a spool suporting frame,tracker bar sections iixed thereto and rigidly connected together,

a tracker bar grooved andslotted to permit movement .relative to saidfixed sections,

Vmeans to retainsaid bar in operative position in said frame, `andmanual means to adjust said bar longitudinally, said fixed bai' sectionshaving openings thei'eiii for the control of sheet adjusting mechanism`and additional Lopenings for the control of expression mechanism.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto aftixed my signature.

JOHN A. ALE GATO.

Copies ot this patent may be obtained for ve `cents Veach, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patent,

Washington, D, C.

